Lance Armstrong tells Oprah Winfrey: I didn’t view doping as cheating

Lance Armstrong has finally confessed to doping during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which he admitted he had not originally viewed drug-taking as cheating.

The 41-year-old, who won the Tour de France seven times after beating testicular cancer, was stripped of all his titles last October after an investigation by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

For years Armstrong had strongly denied allegations of doping, but he admitted to Winfrey that he had used blood-boosting agent EPO and had taken testosterone, human growth hormone, cortisone and blood doping.

Armstrong, who established the Livestrong Foundation to support people affected by cancer, said the story of the cancer suffer-turned champion was a ‘mythic, perfect story and it wasn’t true’.

But while many expected a tearful confession from the disgraced cycling star, Armstrong said that at the time of his drug-taking he had not viewed it as wrong, or that it was cheating, as so many other riders were taking drugs.

‘I looked up the definition of a cheat: to gain an advantage. I didn’t view it that way. I viewed it as a level playing field,’ he said.

Lance Armstrong said he felt doping created a ‘level playing field’ (Picture: AP)

Saying he felt doping was necessary to win the Tour de France, he added: ‘That’s like saying we have to have air in our tyres or water in our bottles. It was part of the job.

‘I don’t want to make any excuses, but that was my view and I made those decisions.’

Admitting that his doping began before his cancer diagnosis, he said that after his cancer battle he felt he could justify using testosterone.

‘My cocktail, so to speak, was only EPO, but not a lot, transfusions and testosterone, which in a weird way I almost justified because of my history, with having testicular cancer and losing (a testicle); “Surely I’m running low”.

‘There’s no true justification for those (blood transfusions).’

However, Armstrong claimed he was now sorry for his actions, telling the US chat show host: ‘I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to earn back trust and trying to apologise to people. For the rest of my life.’

He also insisted he had not been doping during his comeback in 2009 and 2010 – although the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency has since expressed scepticism at this claim.

Armstrong has already been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles (Picture: AP)

John Fahey told The Daily Telegraph: ‘The evidence from USADA is that Armstrong’s blood tests show variations in his blood that show with absolute certainty he was doping after 2005. Believe USADA or believe Armstrong? I know who to believe.

‘It struck me that the statute of limitations under US law might be relevant and Armstrong would not want to admit to anything in regards to his comeback (in 2009) that might be picked up under the US criminal code.’

Armstrong is now facing lawsuits having successfully sued many, including The Sunday Times, for publicly accusing him of doping.

But the disgraced cyclist says he will co-operate in any future investigation into doping, saying: ‘If there was a truth and reconciliation commission, if they had it and I was invited, I’d be the first man through the door.’

The second part of his interview with Oprah Winfrey will be broadcast tomorrow.